Re: [Air-l] students on lists
This is a research list, so people are identified as "a professor" or "a PhD student". Knowing a field of their expertise is useful. On the other end of the spectrum, anonymous participants don't identify their research credentials. I don't mind it, but I don't think it's appropriate on a list like this one. Authority is also established in writing by demonstrating one's knowledge or by sprinkling the writing with statements about one's authority. The last one is often felt as intimidating. Most people on the list have tools of discourse analysis, I assume, so this isn't really new. Cheers, Suzana At 12:20 PM 18/05/2007, you wrote:
Me too. AoIR has a lot or friendly, helpful and humble people on the list.
I feel the need to say though, at the risk of getting into trouble, that sometimes I read an email and feel that I shouldn't get involved in the discussion. And it aint that anyone's claiming to be a top expert on the topic, or that only academics in the specific field are allowed an opinion, but just by the fact that an email is signed off with a Dr or Prof in front of the name of the author, or that the email ends with a list of the author's credentials.
I'm not "put off" by the discussion or have negative feelings about the email's author, and the author hasn't set him or herself up in a way that is not welcoming of a response, but there's a little voice in my head that says "Dr or Prof said such-and-such, so don't say anything".
And I know that this issue is mine and only mine, and that only I have put that little voice in my head, but I think many students like me also have that little voice. I also fail to see the benefit of placing that Dr or Prof in their email signature, and wonder why people do it (are they encouraged by their university or bound by a protocol to do so?).
paul teusner
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Suzana Sukovic Sent: Friday, 18 May 2007 12:03 To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-l] students on lists
Intimidation factor is most often in a too visible authority and patronising attitude. Sometimes it's worth remembering that PhD students, especially in the humanities and social sciences, are often middle-aged people with lots of professional experience.
I agree that AoIR is a welcoming association on-line and off-line. Cheers, Suzana
At 11:32 AM 18/05/2007, you wrote:
I'm sure you're right, and it is regrettable. It does tend to suggest, however, that poor treatment of students probably isn't correlated with whether or not a list permits pseudonymity, and that the intimidation factor may well be negatively correlated. Best - Julie
-----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Mary-Helen Ward Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 9:06 PM To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-l] students on lists
I know from my PhD project that many students feel quite inadequate in the presence of Real Academics. Whether they should or not is another matter, but many have been treated quite badly in academic forums (or seen other people so treated). It can be really difficult for them to trust these forums, and it sometimes doesn't take much to send them scuttling for cover.
This list always, in my experience, works hard to provide a safe and welcoming space.
M-H
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Suzana
I would also note that many members of this list are not either a professor or ph.d. student. We have many professionals and practitioners. In regards to the issues of the 'imposter syndrome' in academia. Which I've known people to express all the way through their careers. I know full professors who still don't think they 'belong', 'know what they are supposed to', and/or feel like an imposter. I think this is a great tragedy. I think that is clear that it exists in many graduate students. I think that it is more of a condition of dare i say it.... 'postmodernity' than anything else. It is related to the 'fragmentation' of knowledge(though it was never whole), hyper-specialization, desconstruction of canons(if there was ever any fixed canons). It is no longer possible to be an expert in the field of communication within the academy... you have to be x clarified y, limited by z communication:), whereas compared to outside the academy... knowledge creation and maintenance are clearly the basis of broad category expertise, even when people seem to have little more than opinions, they can be an expert outside. thus there is an insider/outsider dynamic too, but it is complicated by constructions of differing constructions of expertise. Outside expertise is constructed as broad knowledges, inside it is constructed as exacting knowledges. Everyone in the cable-tv/USA Today generations likely feels that as an origin of imposter syndrome. However, I for one would like students to know that... they are experts, and knowledged people before they start their programs, and the process of education is one of refinement of that knowledge through addition of tools, concepts, experiences, etc. I think AoIR has tried to be inclusive and encouraging, though we could probably do more:) On May 17, 2007, at 10:43 PM, Suzana Sukovic wrote:
We agree that we are all learners, that students may be experienced practitioners, and practitioners experienced researchers. An "early career researcher" may be a 20+ person out of school or 50+ who starts an academic career. Career paths aren't straight any more. Academic traditions in the humanities and social sciences (to make it more manageable) aren't straight either, if they ever were. Someone asked a question about references to online sources and people mentioned a regular evaluation as a way to go. However, there are indications that referencing practices develop in a complex negotiation with tradition in some academic fields. At the same time, traditional academic genres are shifting to merge a line between academic-creative, visual-textual, rational-emotional, dramatically in some fields, slightly in others. Do you have examples for these and other shifts? What does Internet do to change academia and its traditions? There is a fair bit written on the topic, but I am interested in your perceptions. What is it in shifting traditions that affects you as an academic in your daily work? Suzana At 09:58 PM 18/05/2007, you wrote: Jeremy Hunsinger
I would also note that many members of this list are not either a professor or ph.d. student. We have many professionals and practitioners.
In regards to the issues of the 'imposter syndrome' in academia. Which I've known people to express all the way through their careers. I know full professors who still don't think they 'belong', 'know what they are supposed to', and/or feel like an imposter.
Suzana
participants (2)
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Jeremy Hunsinger -
Suzana Sukovic